diff --git a/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp b/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp
index 99f8941de2..b54c2b07df 100644
--- a/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/drm/drm_output.cpp
@@ -437,11 +437,12 @@ bool DrmOutput::doSetChannelFactors(const QVector3D &rgb)
     if (!m_pipeline->activePending()) {
         return false;
     }
+    const auto inGamma22 = ColorDescription::nitsToEncoded(rgb, NamedTransferFunction::gamma22, 1);
     if (m_pipeline->hasCTM()) {
         QMatrix3x3 ctm;
-        ctm(0, 0) = rgb.x();
-        ctm(1, 1) = rgb.y();
-        ctm(2, 2) = rgb.z();
+        ctm(0, 0) = inGamma22.x();
+        ctm(1, 1) = inGamma22.y();
+        ctm(2, 2) = inGamma22.z();
         m_pipeline->setCTM(ctm);
         m_pipeline->setGammaRamp(nullptr);
         if (DrmPipeline::commitPipelines({m_pipeline}, DrmPipeline::CommitMode::Test) == DrmPipeline::Error::None) {
@@ -454,7 +455,7 @@ bool DrmOutput::doSetChannelFactors(const QVector3D &rgb)
         }
     }
     if (m_pipeline->hasGammaRamp()) {
-        auto lut = ColorTransformation::createScalingTransform(rgb);
+        auto lut = ColorTransformation::createScalingTransform(inGamma22);
         if (lut) {
             m_pipeline->setGammaRamp(std::move(lut));
             if (DrmPipeline::commitPipelines({m_pipeline}, DrmPipeline::CommitMode::Test) == DrmPipeline::Error::None) {
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_output.cpp b/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_output.cpp
index 862a257711..2987f85b8c 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_output.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/x11/standalone/x11_standalone_output.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ bool X11Output::setChannelFactors(const QVector3D &rgb)
     if (m_crtc == XCB_NONE) {
         return true;
     }
-    auto transformation = ColorTransformation::createScalingTransform(rgb);
+    auto transformation = ColorTransformation::createScalingTransform(ColorDescription::nitsToEncoded(rgb, NamedTransferFunction::gamma22, 1));
     if (!transformation) {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/colors/colordevice.cpp b/src/colors/colordevice.cpp
index a5c9835729..b73e9c9660 100644
--- a/src/colors/colordevice.cpp
+++ b/src/colors/colordevice.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ void ColorDevicePrivate::recalculateFactors()
         const qreal zWhitePoint = interpolate(blackbodyColor[blackBodyColorIndex + 2],
                                               blackbodyColor[blackBodyColorIndex + 5],
                                               blendFactor);
-        temperatureFactors = QVector3D(xWhitePoint, yWhitePoint, zWhitePoint);
+        // the values in the blackbodyColor array are "gamma corrected", but we need a linear value
+        temperatureFactors = ColorDescription::encodedToNits(QVector3D(xWhitePoint, yWhitePoint, zWhitePoint), NamedTransferFunction::gamma22, 1);
     }
     simpleTransformation = brightnessFactors * temperatureFactors;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/colorspace.cpp b/src/core/colorspace.cpp
index f913771ca7..2905b892b7 100644
--- a/src/core/colorspace.cpp
+++ b/src/core/colorspace.cpp
@@ -344,34 +344,34 @@ static QVector3D clamp(const QVector3D &vect, float min = 0, float max = 1)
     return QVector3D(std::clamp(vect.x(), min, max), std::clamp(vect.y(), min, max), std::clamp(vect.z(), min, max));
 }
 
-QVector3D ColorDescription::mapTo(QVector3D rgb, const ColorDescription &dst) const
+QVector3D ColorDescription::encodedToNits(const QVector3D &nits, NamedTransferFunction tf, double sdrBrightness)
 {
-    // transfer function -> nits
-    switch (m_transferFunction) {
+    switch (tf) {
     case NamedTransferFunction::sRGB:
-        rgb = m_sdrBrightness * QVector3D(srgbToLinear(rgb.x()), srgbToLinear(rgb.y()), srgbToLinear(rgb.z()));
-        break;
+        return sdrBrightness * QVector3D(srgbToLinear(nits.x()), srgbToLinear(nits.y()), srgbToLinear(nits.z()));
     case NamedTransferFunction::gamma22:
-        rgb = m_sdrBrightness * QVector3D(std::pow(rgb.x(), 2.2), std::pow(rgb.y(), 2.2), std::pow(rgb.z(), 2.2));
-        break;
+        return sdrBrightness * QVector3D(std::pow(nits.x(), 2.2), std::pow(nits.y(), 2.2), std::pow(nits.z(), 2.2));
     case NamedTransferFunction::linear:
-        break;
+        return nits;
     case NamedTransferFunction::scRGB:
-        rgb *= 80.0f;
-        break;
+        return nits * 80.0f;
     case NamedTransferFunction::PerceptualQuantizer:
-        rgb = QVector3D(pqToNits(rgb.x()), pqToNits(rgb.y()), pqToNits(rgb.z()));
-        break;
+        return QVector3D(pqToNits(nits.x()), pqToNits(nits.y()), pqToNits(nits.z()));
+    }
+    Q_UNREACHABLE();
+}
+
+QVector3D ColorDescription::nitsToEncoded(const QVector3D &rgb, NamedTransferFunction tf, double sdrBrightness)
+{
+    switch (tf) {
+    case NamedTransferFunction::sRGB: {
+        const auto clamped = clamp(rgb / sdrBrightness);
+        return QVector3D(linearToSRGB(clamped.x()), linearToSRGB(clamped.y()), linearToSRGB(clamped.z()));
+    }
+    case NamedTransferFunction::gamma22: {
+        const auto clamped = clamp(rgb / sdrBrightness);
+        return QVector3D(std::pow(clamped.x(), 1 / 2.2), std::pow(clamped.y(), 1 / 2.2), std::pow(clamped.z(), 1 / 2.2));
     }
-    rgb = m_colorimetry.toOther(dst.colorimetry()) * rgb;
-    // nits -> transfer function
-    switch (dst.transferFunction()) {
-    case NamedTransferFunction::sRGB:
-        rgb = clamp(rgb / dst.sdrBrightness());
-        return QVector3D(linearToSRGB(rgb.x()), linearToSRGB(rgb.y()), linearToSRGB(rgb.z()));
-    case NamedTransferFunction::gamma22:
-        rgb = clamp(rgb / dst.sdrBrightness());
-        return QVector3D(std::pow(rgb.x(), 1 / 2.2), std::pow(rgb.y(), 1 / 2.2), std::pow(rgb.z(), 1 / 2.2));
     case NamedTransferFunction::linear:
         return rgb;
     case NamedTransferFunction::scRGB:
@@ -379,6 +379,13 @@ QVector3D ColorDescription::mapTo(QVector3D rgb, const ColorDescription &dst) co
     case NamedTransferFunction::PerceptualQuantizer:
         return QVector3D(nitsToPQ(rgb.x()), nitsToPQ(rgb.y()), nitsToPQ(rgb.z()));
     }
-    return QVector3D();
+    Q_UNREACHABLE();
+}
+
+QVector3D ColorDescription::mapTo(QVector3D rgb, const ColorDescription &dst) const
+{
+    rgb = encodedToNits(rgb, m_transferFunction, m_sdrBrightness);
+    rgb = m_colorimetry.toOther(dst.colorimetry()) * rgb;
+    return nitsToEncoded(rgb, dst.transferFunction(), dst.sdrBrightness());
 }
 }
diff --git a/src/core/colorspace.h b/src/core/colorspace.h
index e39affd0d2..48ab6ad20d 100644
--- a/src/core/colorspace.h
+++ b/src/core/colorspace.h
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ public:
      * This color description describes display-referred sRGB, with a gamma22 transfer function
      */
     static const ColorDescription sRGB;
+    static QVector3D encodedToNits(const QVector3D &nits, NamedTransferFunction tf, double sdrBrightness);
+    static QVector3D nitsToEncoded(const QVector3D &rgb, NamedTransferFunction tf, double sdrBrightness);
 
 private:
     Colorimetry m_colorimetry;